This is a team that had been knocking on the door of the playoffs 2 years running, ending a decade of double-digit losses with two 8-8 seasons. It looked like the team was on the verge of breaking out onto the scene behind a stellar running game similar to the way the Vikings made the playoffs this year led by Adrian Peterson. Instead, the Raiders put in yet another 4-12 effort. This is a team that was very clearly not the worst in the league (going 3-0 against Jax and KC), but it proved that it certainly was not better than anyone else in the league (1-12 against the league of teams that didn't end up 2-14). Now the franchise is back where it has been for the past decade.

Anyone who was being honest with themselves would have recognized this season had the potential to take a turn for the worst after the defense was gutted due to players not living up to their contracts. What kind of changes can we look forward to as this rebuilding effort gets underway in earnest?

I wasn't really expecting a decent season tbh. It was a complete upheaval of the FO and coaching staff and we let so many people go. Always said this year would be a wash. I think Allen deserves another year or 2, not even Bill Bellichick could have made this mess work.

Seymoure, Kelly, McClain, Carlisle, Barnes, call all go to hell. DHB is decent and wouldn't mind keeping him around, Huff is aight too. We need CBs in the worst way, and pass rushers, and too many other things. Knapp should definitely walk.

__________________
"Dying ain't much of a living, boy" -Josey Wales

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitanHope

R4L does security, and strips on the weekend.
He told me the best part is being able to wear the same uniform to both jobs.

I wasn't really expecting a decent season tbh. It was a complete upheaval of the FO and coaching staff and we let so many people go. Always said this year would be a wash. I think Allen deserves another year or 2, not even Bill Bellichick could have made this mess work.

Seymoure, Kelly, McClain, Carlisle, Barnes, call all go to hell. DHB is decent and wouldn't mind keeping him around, Huff is aight too. We need CBs in the worst way, and pass rushers, and too many other things. Knapp should definitely walk.

DHB, McFadden and Huff all fall in the "contract doesn't fit their production" category and one could easily make the argument that Palmer fits that as well. That's why I could see them on the bubble. Yet all of those players are by all accounts extremely hard workers and it would be difficult to replace their production with so many other holes and no 2nd round pick to boot. I would expect most of them if not all of them to stay. I know DHB has restructured a couple times for Oakland, he may need to do so again.

McFadden's production in years without Knapp tell me he is worth hanging onto and provides yet another reason to kick Knapp to the curb. Veldheer and Wiz 2.0's regressions also lend to such an action.

This season was a bummer for Huff as I hoped he would finally get a chance to roam as a playmaker and instead he was forced into CB duty out of necessity. He didn't really shine, but after his first couple games really struggling, he picked it up and was a solid CB. He's also been a trooper dealing with all the cover 0 crap of the Al Davis years.

I am fully on board with Allen sticking around. I personally feel this is a half-decade sort of rebuild. Like Shanahan told Daniel Snyder "don't bother hiring me if you don't plan on giving me 5 years to turn this thing around." RM, DA and Tarver seem to deserve the same. However the way Knapp took a functioning offense and turned it to crap, he deserves the can. Bring in a competent OC please

Over the last four games, the Raiders were second in total defense, tied for fifth in rushing defense, sixth in net passing yards, seventh in third-down percentage and ninth in sacks.

Also gotta give them credit for being creative enough, or stoned enough, to use Lamarr Houston at OLB...and the son of a butch looked good at it, if you can believe it. 0_o Could be used in a Jarret Johnson role going forward, with the added benefit of being a legit pass rushing DT in nickel packages.

Check out this alignment. Credit to fade2black24 over at BlackReign.net for the shot.

Houston and Wheeler outside. Gaither and Burris inside. Bryant on the nose. Shags at one end, and I believe her said that Kelly and Bilukidi shared time at the other end. A bit of a hodgepodge 34, but it freaking worked. Kick Wheeler inside and put a Damontre Moore or Jarvis Jones outside...ya just might have something.

So, with that in mind, in spite of the overall poor performance by the defense, there are a few guys on that side of the ball we still have a use for.

Wheeler, obviously, needs to come back. I believe he'd be an exceptional ILB for us if we make the flip to a full time 3-4 as is rumored. This guy should have gotten his extension weeks ago, quite frankly.

Bryant is threatening to reach stud status. I would seriously consider franchising him if a deal can't be reached before he hits the market, depending on what the cost is to do so. But, with both Seymour and Kelly likely on their way out, can we afford to not tag this young up and comer?

Shaughnessy had a disappointing season, but is still a quality run defending DE. As a 5 tech, I think he'd be a solid fit. I'm also of the mind that, after his 2012 season, he won't command much in the way of salary. I suspect we'll let him walk in favor of lesser known quantities Bilukidi and Crawford, but I would personally offer him at least a 1 year deal for insurance purposes. Bilukidi has flashed, but I'm not ready to bank on him as a starter just yet.

An argument can be made for retaining the services of Omar Gaither, Andre Carter, and Joselio Hanson. I'd be all for them, but I won't mourn losing them.

It's been a minute but I'm back. I agree with either Moore or Star, if we traded down to the 8-10 spot I'd love to have Mant'i Teo making plays for us. Hes a sure fire pick in my book. BTW lets get this thread goin. Rough season but lets keep our spirits up.

I was expecting the team to take the next step coming into the season. Our offense was looking like it could break out and possibly make up for our poor defense with the help of a weak division. Unfortunately, Knapp **** all over the offense (DMC missing all that time didn't help) and that Peyton Manning guy recovered quite well from his injuries turning the Broncos into a powerhouse.

I guess the struggles are understandable/acceptable to an extent since the new management needs time to bring in their guys and all that. I think giving them a few seasons to rebuild is fine as long as there is progress being made each season. One thing that we should all be very excited about is we finally get to have a high draft pick without worrying about what kind of stupid crap Al is gonna do with it.

My concern with taking Star at 3 are the questions around his motor on the field. That doesn't really sit with the philosophy the organisation is trying to create and doesn't set a great example with our first high pick of the new regime.

I really like Dion Jordan as a pick if we were able to trade back a few spots. It's clear that DA and Tarver aren't afraid to use unconventional personnel arrangements/looks as Abaddon's post above illustrates and, given the lack of depth on the D, I think Jordan's schematic versatility to play 4/3 DE, 3/4 OLB and dropping in coverage would prove really enticing. I have also read that he was a leader and motivator on the Oregon D

What do the Raiders think about their quarterback position? Was anyone impressed with Terrell Pryor's start?

I thought he was alright, not really impressed but everyone said he would flat out not be an NFL quarterback. I figure they may give him some more chances next year and hopefully our OC will do a better job of getting the offense moving.

As for our draft pick it just doesn't seem we could go wrong with anyone. Our defense was just pathetic this year. I just hope we are fortunate enough to land someone who will be playing good years with us for at least the next 5 years. Lets see what Reggie and co. got for us when it comes to the draft.

Thanks for the feedback. One thing about the Raiders under Al Davis, they were so unpredictable you could count on them doing something wacky. Now, under the new management they are unpredictable because I have no idea what they will do. My hunch is after so many years focusing on acquiring speed, the Raiders may focus more on improving the trenches. Joeckel or Lotulelei maybe?

On a side note, how is Lamar Houston doing? I was impressed with him coming out of Texas and was super pissed when the Raiders picked him.

I had him pegged as a starting DE in our 34 next year, and a DT in nickel. Now, it looks like he's going to be penciled in as a starting rush LB. I can only look on in wonder.

He's all hustle. Does an excellent job in getting holding calls. Stout at the point. Still miscast, IMO, as a 43 DE, but he's been more than adequate there. If we had a legit pass rushing RE, he would look even better.

As for the draft, Reggie has given us few clues.

"I like draft picks." - Could imply that trading down will be priority one. Could imply that players like McFadden, Huff, DHB (Yeah, I know), etc are on the block.

He's said that he liked fatties, and he wasn't talking about white women. He knows we have horrible guards, no RT, and after he cuts Kelly, we'll have no starting caliber DTs under contract. DE/rush LB is damn thin, too. I fully expect the O-line, D-line, and rush LB to be prioritized this offseason. If the value on the board is CB, well, we may have no choice. But, for the most part, I believe he's all but told us he plans to go heavy on the heavies this offseason.

Paraphrased: "Al liked height, weight, and speed guys. So do I, but they also have to be able to play football." Pretty self explanatory.

This past draft class was heavy on team captains and churchgoers. My personal opinions on the latter aside, it gives you a good idea of what he looks for in a player. High character, leadership qualities (Something both he and Dennis Allen have specifically stated we need more of), and hustle.

Lastly, we heard from all corners when McKenzie arrived that he was a WR fanatic. An odd trait for a former LB, but whatever. Expect him to take a late round flier on someone resembling a Jordy Nelson or James Jones. WRs who may lack elite speed, but have game everywhere else. I don't doubt he'll have a Randall Cobb type in mind unless he feels Jacoby Ford can get/stay healthy and fill that role.

I had him pegged as a starting DE in our 34 next year, and a DT in nickel. Now, it looks like he's going to be penciled in as a starting rush LB. I can only look on in wonder.

He's all hustle. Does an excellent job in getting holding calls. Stout at the point. Still miscast, IMO, as a 43 DE, but he's been more than adequate there. If we had a legit pass rushing RE, he would look even better.

As for the draft, Reggie has given us few clues.

"I like draft picks." - Could imply that trading down will be priority one. Could imply that players like McFadden, Huff, DHB (Yeah, I know), etc are on the block.

He's said that he liked fatties, and he wasn't talking about white women. He knows we have horrible guards, no RT, and after he cuts Kelly, we'll have no starting caliber DTs under contract. DE/rush LB is damn thin, too. I fully expect the O-line, D-line, and rush LB to be prioritized this offseason. If the value on the board is CB, well, we may have no choice. But, for the most part, I believe he's all but told us he plans to go heavy on the heavies this offseason.

Paraphrased: "Al liked height, weight, and speed guys. So do I, but they also have to be able to play football." Pretty self explanatory.

This past draft class was heavy on team captains and churchgoers. My personal opinions on the latter aside, it gives you a good idea of what he looks for in a player. High character, leadership qualities (Something both he and Dennis Allen have specifically stated we need more of), and hustle.

Lastly, we heard from all corners when McKenzie arrived that he was a WR fanatic. An odd trait for a former LB, but whatever. Expect him to take a late round flier on someone resembling a Jordy Nelson or James Jones. WRs who may lack elite speed, but have game everywhere else. I don't doubt he'll have a Randall Cobb type in mind unless he feels Jacoby Ford can get/stay healthy and fill that role.

On WRs: I think this team is full of #2-4 WR-types, but it is missing a true #1 receiving threat. There are a couple guys with that ability to step their game up to be a true top flight threat, but we can't bank on that. However, I don't know if RM will really look for a WR out there unless the guy can be a #1 guy. They might be better off pursuing a guy like Bowe in free agency which would immediately bolster the entire corps.

On Houston: I agree that Houston's role at an OLB is very odd. It does really make sense to me, but it works somehow. I still feel like his 2 best roles would be 4-3 UT or 3-4 DE. We will see.

On RM's heavies: Once again, I concur with your take on this. I really think the guy will look at offensive line and front 7 this offseason. Some will look at the dearth of talent at CB, but I would point to RM's lack of action on that front last offseason as proof that it likely won't be much of a priority to him this offseason. This front 7 must be fixed. I like Burris to start and Wheeler was a good pickup. They will need to lockup Wheeler and then grab 3 starters on the defensive line along with a rush backer and ILB.

On Pryor: I agree with you 100% on his mechanics. His mechanics seemed much better when he was on the run than when he was in the pocket. He needs to work on footwork and arm action while in the pocket. But what struck me with the guy was how SMOOTH he was when he was on the move For a 6-6 QB, he is just so silky smooth in the way he effortlessly runs. It isn't anything like Cam Newton who really carries his frame with him when he runs, but more like AJ Green which is an odd comparison. He showed me enough to continue to invest in him, but not enough to go all-in with him yet. Take the next 7 months to refine your work as a passer and let's see how you look in August.

Thanks for the feedback. One thing about the Raiders under Al Davis, they were so unpredictable you could count on them doing something wacky. Now, under the new management they are unpredictable because I have no idea what they will do. My hunch is after so many years focusing on acquiring speed, the Raiders may focus more on improving the trenches. Joeckel or Lotulelei maybe?

On a side note, how is Lamar Houston doing? I was impressed with him coming out of Texas and was super pissed when the Raiders picked him.

I don't know if the Raiders would be prudent to draft a guy like Joeckel so high. Veldheer is still the future at LT and you just don't draft a RT that high when you have such a bevy of other gaping holes on your team.

Star is a good pick, Damontre Moore seems like another likely pick, or a trade down to pick up more pieces could be RM's solution to fill more needs.

We supposedly interviewed Mike Martz, but I'm hearing it was likely just a courtesy interview for the sake of getting his name back into circulation around the league. We apparently have a good relationship with his agent, and this back scratching is a good way to keep that relationship strong.

I would be incredibly disappointed with Martz as the offensive coordinator. He sure made Warner look good, but a couple years after that 1999 team, he went no run all pass. It would be a bad idea with a guy like McFadden who was just misused by Knapp this past season.